Finding Myself (Snape's daughter story)
by Maria Lily Snape
Summary: Vanessa Rhodes lives in a family with two brothers, her step-dad, and her mom. She is already fifteen when she starts going to Hogwarts. It's like one of her favorite professors, Severus Snape, tries to make her like him. He wants to tell her somethinge that he knows about her that she doesn't. Problem is, she does like him. But not the way he wants.
1. I'm a witch?

I walked in the living room. I saw Mark, my 16-year-old brother, playing games with his phone and James, my 8-year-old brother playing with a ball. So that's what woke me up...

"Vanessa, what are you doing up so early? You usually don't wake up before afternoon," Mark joked when he saw me.

"Ha, ha. Very funny," I said ironically. "I think that if _someone_ wasn't being so loud with that stupid ball, I would still be sleeping!"

"It's not my fault that you wake up by the simplest sound you hear!" James protested.

I would protest, but I was still half-asleep, so I just decided to fall to the couch and put my head in my hands.

"Where is mom and Andrew?" I asked when I realised that I wasn't hearing any other noise except James ball and Mark's phone.

"Outside. Why are you asking?" Mark said.

"Because they could be here but they didn't heard me getting up because of all that noise!" I said in a high-pitched voice, covering my ears.

James just looked at me and started kicking the ball harder and of course, louder.

Andrew is my step-dad. I was living with my mother for the first 8 years of my life, and then my mother decided that the man who raped her and got her pregnant with me would never come back, and that she had to make up with her life. So she married Andrew. He had two kids on his own, Mark and James, who are now my brothers.

From what mom said to me, only Mark (and Andrew of course) had lived withhis mother, and only until he became 9. When his other brother was born. Then, she dissapeared and they haven't seen her from then.

Sounds dramatic? I haven't even met my father! My _real_ father! Even mom doesn't remember how he was! Even if she's sure she'll recognise him if she sees him somewhere...

Either way, I would really love to met him one day. I don't know what I'm going to say. I want to spit at him, to slap him, to make him feel pain, the pain that me and mom felt.

The pain that mom was feeling while she was pregnant with me for nine months.

The pain that she was feeling when she had to raise me on her own.

The pain that I was feeling when I saw other kids walking by me with their families. With both their mom and dad.

The pain that I felt when years ago, a kid had approached me and asked me where my dad was. That kid was the reason I never made any friends. Because it would be better for me to be alone than if have friends who were going to ask me about my father.

He destroyed my life, and he probably doesn't even know about my existance.

So if I see him sometime in the future, I want to make him feel so bad for everything he did us, that he would wish he hadn't been born.

"I said stop doing that!" I yelled to James and then suddenly, the ball he was kicking exploded.

We were eating dinner. Mom and Andrew had come back. Then we heard knocking at the door. Mom got up and went to open the door, while the rest of us didn't even moved, thinking that James, who had eaten fast and went outside to play, was making a prank on us.

But it wasn't James.

"Mom, are you alright?" I yelled after some moments of not hearing anything from her.

"Vanessa, please come here," I heard her reply.

"Toο bored to go?" Mark asked after noticing my hesitation.

"Mark!" my step-dad warned him.

"What? She is used to sitting all day doing nothing, only eating and eating and now you expect her to get up from her chair? She's too fat to do that!"

"Mark, stop it!"

"So you say that you are doing anything different? I mean, you _can't_ do anything different, because exept all of that weight you've gotten all over the summer, you also have that ADHD because of all those hours on your phone!"

"I do NOT have ADHD! And you're too stupid to understan that, even if I told you so many times!"

"KIDS! STOP THAT!" my step-dad yelled. "You," he said in a calmer tone while pointing at Mark, "if you insult at your sister one more time, you will be grounded for the rest of the summer. And you," he said and pointed at me, "Go to your mother now."

"I never said I wanted her for my sister," Mark said.

"I never said that too," I said and I got up from my chair with quick moves and went to the door to see why she was calling me. There, I saw a very old man with long beard, half-moon glasses and a long cloack standing there.

"Who are you?" I asked, not really kindly.

"Vanessa, where are your manners?" mom asked.

"They were all lost when you brought me here," I snapped.

She took a deep breath in and then she put on her best fake smile.

"Vanessa, this is professor Albus Dumbredore."

"Actually, I'm Albus Persival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Head Master of 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We are teaching there students with magical abitlities, just like you," the man said.

"Wait, you say I'm a witch? Those are not even real!"

"They are, Miss Rhodes. Tell me, have you ever did something that you couldn't explain?"

I thought of it and told him about the morning that I made James ball explode. Because I knew that it was me who did it. I always knew that it was me the one who was doing something bad happen every time I'm angry. One time, James was pulling a prank on me -he had thrown watter on my pants, making me look like I just had peed myself. Mom and my step-dad where out so I was alone with James and Mark. Mark was at another room, and he was coming towards us. We hated each other by then and if he saw me like that, he woluld be laughing at me forever. t would be terrible. So I closed my eyes and wished to be somewhere else. When I opened them, I was at my room. I quickly changed clothed and went back to where I was before, this time more carefull.

Of course I didn't told him about that.

He simply nodded his head with a smile on his face. "I think we both know you are magical."

He handed me a letter. I opened it and read it, with mom over me reading it too and Dumbledore waiting patiently for us to finish.

**_HOGWARTS SCHOOL _**  
><strong><em>of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY <em>**

**_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore _**  
><strong><em>(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, <em>**  
><strong><em>Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards) <em>**

**_Dear Miss Rhodes, _**

**_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. _**  
><strong><em>Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. <em>**

**_Yours sincerely, _**

**_Minerva McGonagall _**  
><strong><em>Deputy Headmistress <em>**

The second page must had the things we had to buy:

**_HOGWARTS SCHOOL _**  
><strong><em>of WHICHCRAFT and WIZARDRY <em>**

**_UNIFORM _**  
><strong><em>First-year students will require: <em>**  
><strong><em> sets of plain work robes (black) <em>**  
><strong><em> plain pointed hat (black) for day wear <em>**  
><strong><em> pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) <em>**  
><strong><em> winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings) <em>**  
><strong><em>Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags. <em>**

**_COURSE BOOKS _**  
><strong><em>All students should have a copy of each of the following: <em>**

**_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _**  
><strong><em>by Miranda Goshawk <em>**

**_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot _**

**_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling _**

**_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch _**

**_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _**  
><strong><em>by Phyllida Spore <em>**

**_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger _**

**_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _**  
><strong><em>by Newt Scamander <em>**

**_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _**  
><strong><em>by Quentin Trimble <em>**

**_OTHER EQUIPMENT _**

**_1 wand _**  
><strong><em>1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) <em>**  
><strong><em>1 set glass or crystal phials <em>**  
><strong><em>1 telescope <em>**  
><strong><em>1 set brass scales <em>**

**_Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad. _**

**_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS _**

But where were we going to buy all those things?

"Tomorrow I will come again and we'll go to buy together the things you will need for Hogwarts," the man answered, like he had just read my thoughts.

Mom nodded.

"Wait, you agree with him?" I asked. Se looked at me with a strange look on her face. "I mean, he has just appeared on our doorstep and telling me I'm a witch and I am supposed to go to a 'magical' school and be with him all the day tomorrow?"

_He can be a rapist,_ I didn't said, but thought about it. He didn't seem like a rapist, but who tells me he is not?

"Vanessa, I do know Albus and I trust him completely," mom replied.

"But _I _don't. And _you _are crazy," I replied. I run to my room without even looking at her. I didn't want to see that sad expression she had.

The truth is that she had been saying crazy things since some years ago. We all thought she had gone mad. Exeptmy step-dad. He kept saying that she was okay.

Before I reached my room, I heard mom, who was still talking with that strange man, shouting for me to hear, "Don't worry Albus. It's just that the non-existance of her real father has costed her alot."

"IT HASN'T!" I yelled in the top of my lungs so she could hear.

Deep inside, I knew that what she was saying was true. Actually, mom is always right.

But I wouldn't let her say that to every stranger that visited our house.

Especially those crazy ones.


	2. Diagon Alley

"Wake up, Vanessa!" she said.

"Why?" I rolled on the other side of my bed.

"That man you saw yesterday, Albus Dumbledore, came to take you to Diagon Alley to buy your things to Hogwarts."

With that, I pushed the bad sheeI stayed at my room thinking how angry I was with mom when I finally fell asleep. I woke up some hours later form mom shooking me.

ts of me, got on a sitting position and stared at her.

"Wait a moment," I say. "A man who any of us knows comes to our house and tells us that I am a witch, and you believe him _and, _you let him take me with him to the _Diagon Alley? _I mean, you don't even know where this is, or if it's even real, do you? What if I need something, you will not know where I am!" I said and mom, who hadn't interrupted me until now, decided that it was finally time to speak.

"I do know Albus and I trust him. I know that one day you are going to trust him too. He is going to help you control your... powers. Go with him. If you still think he is lying, then I will not push you do anything again, you will do whatever you want."

Okay, I did like the fact that she wouldn't push me to do things again. But my overprotective self wouldn't let me relax.

"But it might be already late by then," I said.

"It won't."

Mom gave me a small bag full of money. She said I would need them later. I was shocked because she had never gave me so many money at once before.

I ate breakfast quiclly and then went to my room and locked myself in it, telling all the others that I needed to get ready. (_'But the Headmaster of your new school won't be here for another hour, what are you going to do until then?' 'Honey, us girls need much time to get ready, so stop bothering her'_)

Because I knew that if I didn't do something like that, Mark would follow me everywhere and start kidding me for my new school.

Only mum knew that I was going to be to a magic school and I have no idea what she told to the others.

After all, how do I tell somemeone that I am a witch?

Because deep inside, I knew I was really a witch, and not with the bad meaning. Even if I kept trying to persuade myself that I wasn't.

So one hour later, that man, Albus Dumbledore, came again. Mom dragged me downstairs to the door where he was. Thankfully, all the others had left. It was only me and mom, so no one saw me.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

I nodded.

Mom tried to kiss my cheek but I managed to get away from her.

I mean, come on now! I'm fifteen! I didn't say that I don't like it when she kisses me, but not in front of people!

And it's even worse when it is like now, in front of people we don't even now!

Mom looked sad and I felt bad for a moment, but then I shook my head.

"Goodbye," mom said and waited some moments for a reply. When she didn't got it, she closed the door and left me outside with the Dumbledore man who had witnessed this scene withour talking at all..

"Come with me," he said kindly.

I hesitaded a little, but he had already started walking so I had to follow. We walked for a while and then, he looked around us and he said, "Grab my arm, and don't leave it."

For some moments I looked at his hand suspiciously, and then, slowly, I took it. Then suddenly, I felt like I had been in a small tube, I couldn't breath, I couldn't do nothing. After some moments, I could finally breath.

I took a long breath in, and then out to help me not to puke. It was awful.

"What was that," I said, a hand in my stomach.

"We just apparated. I'm impressed with you. Most people throw up at their first time."

"After living seven years in a family with three boys and only one more woman, I've learned to be taugh. I have not vomited since I was nine," I said.

Oh, yeah, it was true. The first one year with my step-dad, a 'father', who always hits my brothers when they do something wrong or bad (like a normal -really angry- father, the boys are the ones who are not normal), I've learned to be afraid that he will do the same with me one day. But after so many years living with him, he still hasn't.

Okay, the boys were the worst part, but I got over it after a while. With mom's help, of course.

"One woman. Your mother, I suppose?" Dumbledore asked. "You appreciate what she is doing for you?"

"Well, yes, if it wasn't her I wouldn't had survived with all those boys in the house."

"But you don't show it. A least, not with the right way," he said. My head, who was looking at the floor, snapped up at him. "You made her sad before, you know," he said.

I got over the shock pretty fast.

"What I am doing with my mother is non of your bussiness. Now, where are we supposed to go?"

He ignored my last sentense.

"You are angry with your father, your real father, the one you always wanted but you never met. And you burst out to her. She does not deserve it. She tried her best to make you happy, to raise you up, to help you feel welcome in your new family. But you are not showing that you appreciate her at all."

I listened to him, too shocked to response, and after I blinked sometimes, I asked him, "How do you know so many things about us?"

He smiled kindly. "I know many things about you and your family. I had been talking with your mother before you were even born."

I didn't replied; right then, I decided to look around me for the first time since we landed. I saw a lot of people, dressed like Dumbledore. Many of them had hats, and I saw many kids walking arround me.

"Vanessa, this is Diagon Alley," Dumbledore said.

"Diagon Alley?"

"A place where where wizards and witches buy everything they need. We are firts going to the Gringotts. It's a magical bank, the safest place in the world, after Hogwarts, of course."

"But I already have money," I protested, showing him the small bag with the money that mom had gi

I didn't say anything about it. When we reached the Grinkotts Bank and entered it, I noticed many strange-looking creatures.

"Goblins," Dumbledore said.

He took the bag with tthe money from my hands, and when I tried to get it back from him, he just shot me a look that was telling me to relax.

How could I relax! What he did was actually stealing from me! And we were in a bank!

Well, my stupid mind works really slowly, and by the time I had thought all of these, Dumbledore was already talking with one of the goblins.

I ran to him to take my money back, but he had already handed to the goblin the bag.

The goblin took out of the bag all the money and put some gold round things in it,

When we left (of course I insisted for that too, but he just ignored me), Dumbledore told me that those were wizard money.

"What, you thought that wizards use the same money with the Muggles?"

We went at almost every shop at Diagon Alley and purchased my things. My favorite of my new stuff was my wand. That man, Olivander, told me that I was a very easy customer.

"Like your father," he had said.

Dumbledore had laughed.

"You'll meet him at Hogwarts," he said.

He took me home, with apparation again, but it was a little, ONLY a little, better than first time.

He left me there. Mom told me to come in, and for the rest of the day I was thinking about what they had said for my father.

When I went to sleep, I was thinking how he could be. For the first time, I didn't felt the anger that I usually felt when I was thinking about him, but I felt a warm feeling inside of me.

_I was going to meet my father._


	3. The trip to Hogwarts

The next day, I couldn't stop thinking every small question that had suddenly popped up in my mind:

**_How does my father look like?_**

**_How am I going to recognise him?_**

**_Will he like me?_**

and last but not least**, _what am I going to do when I meet him?_**

For the first two, I tried to ask mum to tell me. I went to the kitchen right when my step-dad took my step-brothers and went to a football court. To play football. What do they enjoy so much at football? I mean, it's just a game!

Anyway, I went to the kitchen right after the boys had left. She came to me smiling from ear to ear, and hugged me. And I just couldn't ask her.

Right then, I remembered how every time that she came to talk about my father, doesn't matter how happy she was, she suddenly looked as if she would start crying the same moment.

So I just didn't have the guts to asked her about him right then. Maybe another time... When she isn't that happy...

Yeah, I think it's (a little, ONLY a little) better to make a bad moment worse than destroy a good moment and make it bad...

At the third one, I'm not that sure... people hardly like me. I get bullied at school many times, and I get bullied at home too, by Mark. Actually, Mark has defended me many times, but I'm sure that this is just because he's afraid of me telling my step-dad.

For the last question, I made many scripts in my mind. Actually they are all dreams I saw. They say that when you're thinking all the time for something, you're going to have dreams about it... that explains a lot.

One is me and him, face to face, and I slap him and yell at him for leaving me and mum alone.

One other is me and him, and he hugs me, and I'm feeling so good in his arms, that I forget all my anger.

The last one, is me and him, talking, him explaining me why he left us and me listening to him. But I don't remember what he said.

And the worst is, that I saw his face. But I can't remember how he looked like at all! Stupid dreams...

1st September... Dumbledore will be here in an hour to get me to go to that station...

I think Mark is jealous. Not because I'm going to go to a school of magic (he still doesn't know that after all), but because I'm going to leave, and won't be back until Christmass.

He called me fat again. He said that my ass has the same size with our couch now. And... I sort of believed him...

I'll start a diet at Hogwarts, so when I'll come back, he won't believe in his eyes!

When Dumbledore arrived, and before I could step away from mim, she grabbed me and pulled me in a bone-crushing hug.

"Good bye sweetty!" she said to me making me blush.

"Good bye," I said.

I turned to Dumbledore and we apparated to a train station.

"Where's platform 9 and 3/4?" I asked, seeing that there was no such thing around us.

"Do you see platform 9?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, yes," I said.

"And do you see platform 10?"

"Yes," I said, getting impatient. What was the point of this? Was he checking if I could see well? Because I can see very well, thank you.

"Right, now you have to run to go through the barrier."

I starred at him wide-eyed.

"Are you kidding me?"

He shook his head no.

"If you don't believe me, then look there."

He pointed to a girl whit black hair and blue eyes who did the exact same thing as Dumbledore said. She dissapeared from my sight the moment she touched the barrier.

So I decided to do the same.

I started running towards the barrier and after some seconds I was facing a red train. And now what?

I tuned arond to see if Dumbledore would come with me, but when I saw he didn't I felt... insecrure...

Strange. I never liked that man...

Anyway, I decided to go find an empty compartment to sit. I got on the train and walked from a few seconds, and then I opened the door to a compartment.

I found the girl that I had watched her passing the barrier.

"I-I'm sorry, I wanted to find somewhere to sit and-"

"Oh, no problem, sit here with me," she replied. I did.

"Aly Waters," she said and raised her hand for me to shook it.

"Vanessa Rhodes," I replied and shook her hand.

"What House are you in? I don't remember seeing you before."

"No, I'm new. I'll start my fifth year though."

"Really? Me too! I'm in Slytherin."

"What's Slytherin?" I asked.

She explained me about the Houses of Hogwarts, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and the best of all, Slytherin.

"Why is Slytherin the best?" I asked.

"Because... Uhm, if you get in Slytherin, you'll know."

We reached Hogwarts and we got on a carriage that after some minutes, started by itself. We reached Hogwarts and we got in the 'Great Hall' as Aly said it was named.

She told me that she would go to sit at the Slytherin table. Was I supposed to go with her? Because I hadn't been sorted yet... What would everyone else say? I wanted to make some friends here, so I didn't want to seem ridiculous from the first day...

Thankfully, I didn't had to think of what I would do. Right when Aly left, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Dumbledore once again.

"Ah, I see you finally came here. Let me explain you how you will get sorted. Professor McGonagall will call your name before the first years and she will place the Sorting Hat on your head, which is going to decide in which House you are going to be in. Alright?"

"I think so," I replied.

"Oh, and something else. When the dinner is over, I want you to come to my office. I need to tell you something."

"Uhm... where is your office?"

"I will inform a prefect of the House you will get sorted, so he will take you to my office. Ah, I think that the first years are coming. Enjoy your sorting," he said and he went to the professors' table.

The first years did came right when Dumbledore sat down. I guessed that the woman that was with them was that MacGonagall Dumbledore told me.

She brought a small chair and placed a hat on it. Suddenly, it was like on the hat appeared a mouth. It had to be a mouth, because it started talking. Actually, it started _singing._

**"****In times of old, when I was new,  
><strong>**And Hogwarts barely started,  
><strong>**The founders of our noble school  
><strong>**Thought never to be parted.**

**United by a common goal,  
><strong>**They had the selfsame yearning  
><strong>**To make the world's best magic school  
><strong>**And pass along their learning.**

**'Together we will build and teach  
><strong>**The four good friends decided.  
><strong>**And never did they dream that they  
><strong>**Might some day be divided.**

**For were there such friends anywhere  
><strong>**As Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
><strong>**Unless it was the second pair  
><strong>**Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,**

**So how could it have gone so wrong?  
><strong>**How could such friendships fail?  
><strong>**Why, I was there, so I can tell  
><strong>**The whole sad, sorry tale. **

**Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those  
><strong>**Whose ancestry's purest."  
><strong>**Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose  
><strong>**Intelligence is surest."**

**Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those  
><strong>**With brave deeds to their name."  
><strong>**Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot  
><strong>**And treat them just the same."**

**These differences caused little strife  
><strong>**When first they came to light.  
><strong>**For each of the four founders had  
><strong>**A house in which they might**

**Take only those they wanted, so,  
><strong>**For instance, Slytherin  
><strong>**Took only pure-blood wizards  
><strong>**Of great cunning just like him.**

**And only those of sharpest mind  
><strong>**Were taught by Ravenclaw  
><strong>**While the bravest and the boldest  
><strong>**Went to daring Gryffindor.**

**Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest  
><strong>**and taught them all she knew,  
><strong>**Thus, the houses and their founders  
><strong>**Maintained friendships firm and true.**

**So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
><strong>**for several happy years,  
><strong>**but then discord crept among us  
><strong>**feeding on our faults and fears. **

**The Houses that, like pillars four  
><strong>**had once held up our school  
><strong>**now turned upon each other and  
><strong>**divided, sought to rule.**

**And for a while it seemed the school  
><strong>**must meet an early end.  
><strong>**what with dueling and with fighting  
><strong>**and the clash of friend on friend.**

**And at last there came a morning  
><strong>**when old Slytherin departed  
><strong>**and though the fighting then died out  
><strong>**he left us quite downhearted.**

**And never since the founders four  
><strong>**were whittled down to three  
><strong>**have the Houses been united  
><strong>**as they once were meant to be.**

**And now the Sorting Hat is here  
><strong>**and you all know the score:  
><strong>**I sort you into Houses  
><strong>**because that is what I'm for.**

**But this year I'll go further,  
><strong>**listen closely to my song:  
><strong>**though condemned I am to split you  
><strong>**still I worry that it's wrong,**

**Though I must fulfill my duty  
><strong>**and must quarter every year  
><strong>**still I wonder whether sorting  
><strong>**may not bring the end I fear.**

**Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
><strong>**the warning history shows,  
><strong>**for our Hogwarts is in danger  
><strong>**from external, deadly foes**

**And we must unite inside her  
><strong>**or we'll crumble from within  
><strong>**I have told you, I have warned you...  
><strong>**let the Sorting now begin."**

People clapped for it. McGonagall took out paper-no, it's parchment. Dumbledore said me that the right way to call it is parchment.

"There is a new student this year. She will be starting her fifth year, and I hope you all be good to her. Rhodes, Vanessa!" McGonagall called my name.

I walked to her, sat on the chair and she placed the sorting hat on my head. I heard it talking in my head.

_"Hmm... you're wise. Very wise. But you want to get what you deserve. And you deserve much better things than life has given you. And you want to be a leader... And most of all, you want to show to everyone that has treated you badly that you are better than them... So much like your father."_

Great! Even a stupid hat knows about my father!

_"Ah, yes, I remember him. He was in Sytherin. And I think that this is were you belong too... SLYTHERIN!"_ it yelled.


	4. Meeting the perfect boy

Professor McGonagall took the Sorting Hat off my head, and I saw a table on the right applauding for me. I went and sat right next to Aly.

I watched the rest of the sorting, while Aly was whispering to me telling who the professors were. I wasn't really listening to her, until she whispered in amusement:

"Look! Professor Snape is staring at you!"

"Who?" I looked at the teacher's table and saw a man with hooked nose, greasy hair and two black obsidian eyes staring at me.

A shiver crossed my spine.

"Who is he?" I asked, neither me nor him taking our eyes from each other.

Somehow, he looked familiar. Very familiar.

"He is the Head of the Slytherin House. Potions Master here. Believe me, you don't want to mess with him." She leaned to my ear, while we were both still looking at him, and whispered to my ear so only I could hear. "Or maybe you do. I think he might have a crush on you!"

I snapped my head towards Aly, staring shocked at her.

"Yes, that's it! He likes you! That's why he keeps staring at you!" she whispered, and I'm pretty sure that she wanted to yell it at the whole school. And I bet she would, if the Sorting didn't end right then.

Dumbledore got up from his chair and started talking. I wasn't listening to him, thinking if what Aly said could be true.

I remember once that I had kissed a professor. Well, it hadn't end well.

None of my relationships ended well. Not that I ever had a normal relationship. I was more like the 'school's slut'. That's why I had no friends.

I was the one were a boy would go for a 'good night'.

That's why I really wanted to make some friends here. Well, at least until they found out about what I was doing at my old school.

I had decided to hide it as better as I could. They couldn't know, right?

But even if they did found out one day, then I would make sure to have some friends that will have already loved me for who I really am, and not the whore that I was.

Dumbledore announced that we could finally eat, and snapped me back in reality. But the whispers that I could hear around me, I understood that I had missed something important.

Food suddenly appeared in front of me. Too much food. All my favorites. But I couldn't eat them, right? If I want to start a diet, I should never just say that I'll start tomorrow. Maybe here at Hogwarts they eat like that every day. What am I going to do then? Eat like that every day? No.

"I can't believe Umbridge butted in in Dumbledore's speach!" Aly muttered to herself. I didn't understood what she meant, but I think that that was the important thing that I lost while I was daydreaming.

"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked.

I took some food and placed it in my plate. It wasn't much and it sure wasn't as much as I wanted to eat, but I had to resist to food.

"You don't want anything else?"

"I'm not that hungry," I replied.

By the way she was looking at me I understood that she hadn't believed me, but I choosed to ignore it.

When dinner was over and Dumbledore told us that we should head to our beds, I remembered what he had told me. A prefect would come and take me to Dumbledore's office. But why?

Aly told me that she would show me where the Slytherin common room was, but I just told her that I had to go somewhere.

I didn't wait for a reply, knowing that all the strange questions would began, and as I didn't was in the mood to explain anything to anyone, I just decided to go out of the Great Hall and wait for the prefect that Dumbledore told me that would come to take me to his office.

When I got out, a blonde pale boy came towards me. When he got closer, I think my heart skipped a beat as I saw his grey-blue eyes.

"Are you Vanessa Rhodes?" he asked.

"Y-Yeah," I muttered.

"Come with me. Dumbledore told me to take you to his office."

While we were walking, we talked.

"By the way, who are you?"

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

"And you're a Slytherin prefect, right?"

"Yes." He turned his head and looked at me. "How do you know?"

Is he stupid?

"You mean expect the fact that you have that thing on your chest that says it? Dumbledore told me."

He let out a small laugh.

"Good job getting in Slytherin. This is the best of all Houses. You'll find that out soon by yourself. Slytherin's inventor was Salazar Slytherin. By the time you'll learn more things about Slytherin."

"Like?"

"Well, for example, us Slytherins hate Gryffindors. They are all stupid and attention-seekers. Especially Potter and his gang."

He talked and talked about how amazing Slytherin was until we reached Dumbledore's office. He said something that I guessed was the password, but I didn't heard him because I was really busy hoping that he wouldn't hear my stomach growling from the lack of food.

We climbed a stair and Draco knocked the door that was at the end of it. We heard a soft, "Come in," and he opened it. Inside was Dumbledore and...what did Aly say his name was? Professor Snape. Now that we were closer, he looked more familiar to me than it did before.

Hm... Maybe I had seen him in an alley or something? He did looked like someone who would wander at dark alleys, and I can't say that I've never been in a place like that.

Actually, I was at places that I wasn't supposed to be all the time. Maybe I saw him at one of them...

"Vanessa, how did the feast seam to you?" Dumbledore asked.

"It... it was good," I replied shrugging my shoulders.

"And-"

"Get to the point, Albus," professor Snape said.

Hey! I was about to say that! Just in a really worse way... well, maybe it's better that professor Snape said it. I don't want a detention from my first day here, do I?

"You are right, Severus. Vanessa," he adressed to me as suddenly his face became sirious. "You are new here, and as you are 15, you must get in your fifth year. But you won't know as much things as the other students-"

"Actually, I'm sure that miss Rhodes can be smarter than many of the other students in her year," Prof. Snape butted in.

"I'm quite sure that she is. But the other students will have 5 years knowledge more than her. So in order to keep along with them, the first of your days you will not attend your classes, and every time one of your professors have a free period, or me, will teach you the basic magic that you will need for your fifth year. Also, professor Snape will do some extra lessons with you at the afternoons, as he is the Head of your House. IUn the begining, Mr. Malfoy will take you to your classes, do you will not get lost."

"So... for how long am I going to do this?"

"For the first one month. Now go to your dormitories. You will need some rest for tomorrow."

I and Draco left, and as we were heading towards the Slytherin common room, he said, "Well, as it seams, we will have much time together from now."


	5. The first real kiss

_"So that's her," Severus Snape said right when the door closed and he was sure that the girl could no longer hear him._

_"Yes, Severus, that's her," Albus Dumbledore replied. "When are you planning on talking to her?"_

_"Are you serious?_ I_ learned about her some days ago, and you want me to talk to her about our... 'relationship'?"_

_"Severus, the girl was looking for you for her entire life. She needs you. You should talk to her."_

_"But you just said it! She's been looking for me for her entire life! Am I just going to show up to her and say 'Hello, I'm your father'?"_

_"But Severus, the girl needs to know about you! She just wants to meet you!"_

_"She just did!"_

_"And you are going to keep the girl in the dark because she has already meet you? She needs to know you as her father, not as her professor."_

_"But you told me that the girl reacts before she thinks! How is she going to react when she finds out that I am her father?"_

_Dumbledore let out a small sigh._

_"Yes, that is true. Vanessa really is like you. But she needs to meet you. What do you think? That she will not notice that you two look alike, or that sometimes you act the same?"_

_"But-"_

_"The girl is smart, Severus. And if she doesn't find out herself about your blood relationship, then someone else in the school will find out soon."_

_Severus understood he was talking about Hermione Granger. The miss know-it-all, of course she would notice sooner or later._

_"And on top of all," Dumbledore continued, "the girl knows that her father is in Hogwarts."_

_"You TOLD her?"_

_"Severus, you need to take the responsibility."_

_"I can't!"_

_"But the girl needs her father! She grew up without her real father, and doesn't believe the same things as we do!"_

_That caught Severus' attention and took his mind off his new responsibility._

_"What do you mean, 'she doesn't believe the same things as we do'?"_

_"She was raised with different expectations. She will try not to do any mistakes. She thinks that if she does something wrong, then she will be punished."_

_"She _will _be punished if she explodes the whole classroom like Longbottom does, or if she wanders around the castle at nights and break rules just like Potter and his gang."_

_"I don't mean like that, Severus."_

_"Then what do you mean?"_

_Dumbledore made a small pause before he continued._

_"I hope that you will find out yourself what I mean. Before you will be ready to talk to her, make her like you. That way, you won't be afraid of her reactions."_

_"How am I going to make her like me?"_

_"Spend time with her. Your lessons will be the perfect time. And she is in your House. When you finally decide to talk to her, you will be able to do it. It wouldn't be the same if she was in Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, am I correct?"_

_Severus nodded, an then thought about it for a momment. He wanted to reply, _'And what if I don't want to talk to her?'._ But he already knew how was the old man going to answer him. So he said,_

_"And when am I going to be ready? How will I know when the right momment has come?"_

_Dumbledore smiled kindly._

_"Don't worry. You will know."_

_"How?"_

_"You will feel it."_

Magic wasn't as easy as I expected it. It was really hard. I couldn't get a spell right even after the 50th time, and Dumbledore was really getting in my nerves.

_"You will be able to do it by the time," "it will come out naturally," _and other things like that.

I was doing lessons at the morning with Dumbledore, and at the afternoons with Snape. Dumbledore had decided that I should start lessons with the other professors later. Not now.

I had already detested Dumbledore, so I tried to show my good side on Snape. After all, _he _was the Head of Slytherin, and from what Draco told me, he liked only Slytherins. So I didn't want to be the only Slytherin that he wouldn't like.

So in order to make him like me, I tried to do everything perfect. The afternoons, with Snape we were doing almost the same spells I was doing with Dumbledore at the mornings. Only with Snape, I was also doing potions.

Potions were easy. Spells were hard.

In order to do them right, after lunch, Draco was showing me how to do them right. Sometimes, I was staying up all night doing them again and again.

Draco was staying with me until about three in the morning, and then he was forcing me to go to sleep too. Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't.

I just wanted to make everyone proud of me!

Also, I hadn't eaten a proper meal for two weeks. They were shorter than before. Or I hadn't any meals at all. Alnd I had only lost a few pounds...

"No, no, no!" Draco said right after I had made some books explode. It was around midnight, and we were practising spells in the library. We had hide in there, with Draco holding my mouth so I wouldn't speak until they closed it, and then Draco made a spell to be sure that no one would hear us.

"Why? I did everything you told me!" I said.

"No, it's not that you're doing the spell wrong! It's that you're waving your wand wrong! Look," he said and he moved his hand to his pocket to get his wand out, and then he took it back. "No, I already tried that. Let's try something else."

He moved behind me and with his right hand he took mine. It was like he was hugging me. I felt butterflies in my stomach when he touched me.

He moved his hand and made mine to move too.

"There, say the words, and I'll do the move," he whispered in my ear. "On three. One. Two. Three."

"Incendio," I said and he instantly moved my hand. Fire came out of the other side of my wand.

"I did it!" I said happily and started bouncing up and down. Draco let go of my hands.

"Great! Now try to do it by yourself."

I did it again and the same thing happened. I giggled exitedly as I continued jumping up and down. Then I looked at Draco who was beaming at me.

"Congratulations!"

For once again, I saw how much beautiful he was. And I don't know if it was from the exitment, as I don't really remember what happen. But the next thing I can remember is that I was pressing my lips on his.

I was kissing him! And he was kissing me back!

I felt like there were fireworks around me.

So that's a real kiss. Because I've kissed people before, but I never had a _real _kiss. Until now.

When it was over, we looked at each other's eyes without speaking. He was the first to break the silence.

"We should probaby go to our beds now, it's kinda late..."

"Yeah..." I agreed.


	6. Running to escape from my new vilain

_"How is it possible for this girl to be able to learn five years worth of magic in one months while everyone else in her year still are not able to do the simplest potion or charm?"_

_"I told you she is smart. She probably took that from you."_

_"It's still impossible."_

_Severus decided to ignore the compliment. He never liked compliments, but it was good to hear one once in a while._

_Dumbledore nodded. "I know. I don't know how she is able to learn everything so quickly."_

_"I think I know," Severus replied. "And I also think that know I understand what you meant when you said that she __doesn't believe the same things as we do."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Some days ago I found her at three in the morning in the library doing spells. And she can't accept that she is not able to do what I'm trying to teach her."_

_"That, my boy, is only the first idea of what I meant. But I hope that you will understand all the other things too."_

_"But how do you know? As far as I know, you only did two whole conversations with her."_

_"If you heard what she told me you would say that too."_

_"What exactly did she say?" Severus said with interest._

_Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Let's hope that you will find out by yourself soon."_

When I was going to start attending classes with the other students I was really excited. The first one week went great. After that, I started getting dirty looks from everyone. Maybe because I was still trying to do everything perfect, or maybe because I was dating Draco Malfoy, who as I learned, is called by many "The Slytherin Prince".

About the first reason, I still think that nothing is perfect about me. At least not yet. I managed to loose some more pounds, but I haven't eaten lunch for two weeks now, and at dinner I eat almost nothing. I wouldn't eat breackfast, but as they say, it's _the most important meal of the day._

About the second reason, it's that girl named Pancy Parkinson that hates me the most. From what Draco told me, they were in a relationship once and she still thinks that 'Draco is hers'.

He told me to be careful when she's around.

And today I got an idea of what he meant.

As it seems, she searched my past. I don't know how, I don't know how she did it, but at the potions lesson, someone gave me a piece of pap- parcement, and told me it was from Pancy Parkinson.

I looked at Snape, who was shouting at a Hufflepuff, and I took a look on what it wrote.

**_'You don't belong here. You are a slut. And I don't mean Draco. You know by yourself...'_**

I read it three times. How could she know?

I'm still not sure what got me, but I got up from my seat and run out of Snape's classroom.

I couldn't go to the Headmaster. After all, what she wrote was true.

Before I could go far, I felt two arms grab me from the shoulders. I turned around to find a very angry Severus Snape glaring at me.

"What, do, you, think, you, are, doing?" he asked slowly.

I looked down, not wanting to reply.

"I asked you something, miss Rhodes," he said impatiently. "Don't make me take points from my own House."

Knowing that I had to reply, and knowing that I couldn't lie to him, I handed him the parcement, still looking down.

He read it and then looked back at me. "Who wrote this?"

I shrugged my shoulders. I knew that if I said that Pancy did it, he would punish her and she would know that it was me who told him, and then she would try to destroy me even more.

That's what always happens.

But as I understood, he knew very well the difference between thruth and lie.

"Dont. Lie. To. Me. Miss Rhodes."

"I don't know, sir," I insisted.

There was some seconds silence. And then,

"Look at me."

I slowly lifted my head and met two really angry black obsidian eyes.

"I will ask you one last time. Who wrote this?"

"I don't-" I tried to say, but it felt as if his eyes got even darker, and his glare even scarrier, and I wanted to start runnind away from him. I was so scarred, that in the end I muttered, "Pancy Parkinson."

"And why did you tried to cover her?"

I didn't replied. He wouldn't understand. He couldn't understand.

In the end, he probably just decided that he had made me talk enough for this time, and he let it go. But he couldn't just leave it there, could he?

"Well, I don't know why you didn't said it at the beggining, but I'm really dissapointed with you. You made an enemy from your first week."

Great! Another one who's dissapointed with me. I felt tears in my eyes.

That moment, I wanted to ask sorry, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction to see that.

But most of all, _nobody_ could see me cry.

"Just be careful around her. After five years of teaching her, I know that she's not the kind of girl who you want to mess with."

I looked at him.

"Why are you telling this to me sir?"

A small smile formed on his face. It was not that big, but it was there.

"Because I know what she can do, and I don't want to loose one of my Slytherins. Especially if they're as smart as you."

That made me smile. "Thank you sir."

"Now go to get ready for your next class. I won't make you to go back to the potions class now, but if I learn that you weren't at your next class, you are going to serve detention with me the same night. Am I understood?"

"Yes professor," I said.

"And about miss Parkinson, don't worry, I'll make her be sorry for what she did. And because I know you are worried about it, no, I'll make her think that it weren't you the one who said what she did."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I have my way. And if something like this happens again, you will tell me immediatly. Alright?"

I nodded.

"Now go to get ready for your next class," he ordered before returning to the potions class.

And it was one of the not-so-many times that I did what I was told.


	7. Almost fainting in Snape's class

_"Severus, when are you going to tell her?"_

_"I'm not ready yet, Albus. And I think that she isn't ready too."_

_"But Severus, the fact that you are her father is starting to shown. Soon she will understand. And I think that it is better for both of you to be _you _the one who'll tell her."_

_"I don't think she'll understand soon."_

_"Oh, come on now Severus, the girl is even smarter than _you _were in her age! At least, try to get closer to her! Talk to her! Ask her things about herself!"_

_"Like what?"_

_"Like, maybe her hobbies, what she likes to do, about her previous schools, or even... how she would react if she met her real father."_

_"But maybe her mother had married another man before she even gave birth to the girl."_

_"No, Severus. When I took her to Diagon Alley, before we bought her books, she talked about her step-brother, Mark, and how she much she wanted to be able to tell him that she would go to a magic school. She said that he would be jealous."_

_"So that means she knows..."_

_"But either way, you can always ask her about her family."_

_"Okay... but how am I going to talk to her? In a detention? Because I don't think that I'll ever catch her doing something wrong."_

_"Well Severus, I noticed that the girl skips meals. If she doesn't come to breakfast today, give her a detention for that."_

_When Severus left Albus' office, he had a feeling that he was going to have a talk with Vanessa that day, and in a detention._

I haven't eaten anything since yesterday at lunch. I managed to lose a couple of pounds more, but not even my ribs aren't showing yet.

I decided to skip breakfast too. I'll eat again at lunch. I'll have only one meal each day.

It was really hard to hold myself and not have breakfast. Hunger has turned to pain now, but I still can't eat. And at lunch I'll eat only the half of what I normally ate.

The lessons passed quickly, if you don't count that I was feeling dizzy all day, and for some moments all I could see was darkness.

Until the last class before lunch, potions.

The moments when all I could see was darkness were more and more now, but I was still thinking seriously to skip lunch too.

My stomach was growling all the time, and I think that Snape noticed it.

I'm pretty sure that he was going to ask me to stay after class to talk about it, but something else happened before that.

When I was going to give him the vial that had in it the potion that I and Aly made, the dizziness made me trip and fell to the ground before I even reached his desk.

The vial broke.

Draco runned to me and tried to help me to get off the ground but I was too weak to even do that.

Aly came next to me shortly after Draco did, and she tried to help Draco to get me off the ground.

Snape told everyone to get out, and had to threat Draco and Aly that he would give them detention until the end of the year if thet didn't leave right that moment.

After they left, he lifted me with his extremely strong hands from the ground and placed me on his desk. Not his chair, his desk.

"Stupid girl, why didn't you ate the morning?"

I didn't reply.

"Alright then. When was was the last time you ate?"

"Yesterday at lunch."

My voice came out as a whisper, but it was the louder I could do.

"And before that?"

"The day before yesterday, at lunch again."

With his hand he lifted my chin so I could see his eyes. His black obsidian eyes were full of anger.

"And I guess you're proud for that aren't you?" he hissed.

"I am, sir."

"You know what you are? Stupid, that's what you are!"

He let go of my chin, turned round and said a name. Something appeared in front of him but I couldn't see it, because everything became blurry. But I heard him saying to it,

"Can you get some food for the girl? Much food."

"Yes master."

What? Why did it called him master?

It disappeared, and we sat in a tensed silent. I felt as if he was going to start yelling at me at any moment, but he didn't.

In the minutes that we sat in silence my vision came back, but I felt like I was going to puke and faint in the same time. I didn't.

The creature came back with much food, as Snape told him. He grabbed the disk that had many plates on it, full of food. The creature disappeared before I had the time to see how it looked like.

Snape placed the disk in my lap, and forced me to eat one whole plate.

I don't really remember what it was, but I remember that it had amazing taste!

When he came to the second plate, my vision had started getting cleaner. I put my hands in front of me in a protective way, so he couldn't make me eat it.

The truth was, that if someone assured me that I wouldn't get any calories at all, I would eat all the plates on the disk and ask him to call this creature back and ask for even more food.

But something like this wasn't possible.

"Why don't you want this? I don't believe that you're full already."

"I don't really like this..." I said.

"You don't like steak?"

"No..." I lied. I loved steak! But I had already eaten enough for today. I already could feel the fat spreading in my body. If I ate more, then for sure I was going to go back at home looking like a pig. Mark will start making fun of me again...

"Alright then," he said and took another place. Roasted chicken! I love it!

"I can't," I said.

He let it back on the disk too, but instead of taking another one, he looked at me.

"You're not going to leave my office if you don't finish the whole disk."

"Why?" I said.

"Because I can't lose another one," he said.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't lose another student that will possibly win the House cup for Slytherin."

"What do you mean? Has somebody _died_ in Hogwarts?"

"I don't mean that. The actually good students have left Hogwarts."

"What do you mean they left?"

"They finished it! They went to find works!"

"Oh."

"And the only student that can actually help Slytherin win the House Cup, is _you_."

"Well, _sir,_ if you mean it like _that,_ then I prefer to die than be alive just to help you win the House Cup."

He sighed. "Eat first, and we will talk about that later."

He picked up the same place with the roasted chicken. This time, I found a very good reason to say no.

"I can't," I said again.

"Why_ 'you can't'? _Because I can always force feed you, like people do at the babies when they get stubborn, like you are right now."

"I'm not being stubborn! I'm a vegeterian!"

"Really? Because some days ago you weren't."

"No, really, I'm a vegetarian."

He raised an eyebrow, but took another plate, this time fish. So that means he actually believed me!

"I'm allergic to fish."

"Really? That kind of fish?"

"Ehm..."

"Then, we can call a house elf again and ask for another one."

"No, no, no, all kinds."

He looked again at me and this time he took a plate with mashed potatoes.

"I don't like potatoes!"

"Is there _anything_ you can eat?"

"No!"

"Then you'll eat it either way."

He tried to force the food down my throat, but I really didn't liked mashed potatoes.

"Wait a moment!"

"You _mus_t eat something!"

Now that I knew that I wouldn't leave if I didn't eat, I grabbed another plat without really looking what it was and started eating it.

He looked me wide-eyed until I finished.

"I thought you were allergic to that."

Then I understood that I had actually ate the fish.

"I'm not," I said.

"I realized that myself."

"Sorry," I said.

"Is there anything else you would like to tell me? Like, you're not a vegeterian?"

"I'm not. But I really hate mashed potatoes."


	8. He is my father?

I was still at the dungeons.

He made me eat the whole disk. And I still wasn't feeling full.

But maybe it was because I was too busy being disgusted.

With myself.

I could already feel the fat spreading all over my body. Draco and Aly would both hate me now.

And the worst of all was that now, Mark would have a reason to laught at me and make jokes again at how fat I looked.

I felt tears forming in my eyes. Why did he have to do that? I was already getting thinner! I just want Mark to look at me and not believe in his eyes! Is it too much to ask for?

With his hand he gently lifted my chin and looked into my eyes.

But no. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing my to cry. He already made me eat all those things. Wasn't that enough for him?

I guess not.

"It's not good to keep your feelings inside of you, you know."

I snapped my head, forcing him to let go of my chin. I jumped off his desk.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"I mean that if you want to cry, you should."

"I don't want to cry," I said.

He sighed. "Yes, sure you don't. But can you at least explain me why you are doing all those things?"

I didn't found a reason not to tell him. So after some moments of hesitation, I told him about Mark, what he kept saying and how I _had to _make him stop making jokes at me.

"So you say that you are not eating because your step brother was making some stupid jokes of your weight?"

And for a strange reason, I started talking to him about things burried deep down in me that even I didn't know that were there.

But I knew that they were true.

"You don't understand how it is, sir. How it is to do your best and it still isn't good enough! You don't understand! Even my mother would always have to say something about the things I was doing! I was getting the second best grade in the hardest lesson that we had, but it still wasn't good enough! I had to be the best! And if I wasn't, the disappointment that she didn't even _tried_ to hide would break me completely!"

I was doing my best not to cry, but if I stayed there for some more minutes, I wouldn't be able to keep holding my tears.

"So that's why you're trying to be the best at everything," he said, surpised to say the least.

I nodded. He came closer to me. He touched my cheek in a fatherly way. And that made me start talking again.

"And the worst of all is that I prefered to stay home most of the times. Because I prefered to hear mum's lecture about not having friends, hear Mark's jokes about me and be the victim of James' pranks than get out there and have to face all the other kids that kept making fun of me."

He moved his hand from my cheek to the inside of my hair and started stroking them. We were really close. Our bodies were almost touching, but it didn't feel like something romantic. It really felt like it was a father-daughter hug.

But it wasn't. It was far away from a hug. But it really felt like it.

"Why were they making fun of you?" he asked softly.

"Because I didn't have my real father. Because I was that stupid orphan that always counted on others. That wasn't true. I was nine when I started trying to find ways to be away from my _family._ I was getting to two month camps, or stay for days, or even whole weeks at the only friend that I had. At ten I found out that I really liked sports."

"Sports?"

"Yeah. It was the only thing that I was actually good at it without much trying. At the begging. I was only eleven when I took part in a five-mile race. And finished it first of all the others. I was practicing for weeks for the race. It was exhausting, but it felt really good when I came first. That was when I learned that if you try really hard for something, then you will get what you deserve."

"That's not true! You deserve much better that what life gave you!"

"Well, tell that to my father!"

He was even more surprised when he heard that.

"But... you said that you had a step-father... wasn't he filling the gap?"

"You mean filling the gap in my heart of my missing father? Filling the eight years that I had to spend with only my mother because we had no one? Well, no, he wasn't. And he was actually hitting my step-brothers. Well, not the abusing type, and for sure my step-brothers weren't angels, and they did deserve it, but he made me to be afraid of failing."

"And you believe that skipping so many meals will make you be perfect, am I correct?"

I nodded.

"Well, you should know that this is not true. The most possible is to end up dead, or with problems with your body that no one will be able to fix. If you ever skip another meal, you'll have detention with me rith the same day. And I don't care even if it's dinner, you'll be in detention until the morning, until the time for your next meal. And while you're with me, you'll be eating the douple amount of food from what you would normally eat."

For some reason, this made me laugh. It felt as if my body parts were moving by themselves, and I found myself hugging him.

And the stranger was that he was actually hugging me back. He rubbed my back, something that mom had never done.

And I couldn't imagine her doing it.

But with him... it was really different. It was comforting.

Yeah, if really my father was at Hogwarts, I would love it to be him.

Wait...

He is the only one in Hogwarts that is close to the age that my father should be.

And he is the only one except Dumbledore and my friends who actually showed some kindness towards me.

Could it be him?

I broke the hug.

"You? You are..."

My voice was barely above than a whisper. But his eyes that became wide actually showed me that I was right.


End file.
